Most helpful Apps

Nightlife & Entertainment | Mar 18, 2016

Finding your way round London can be hard especially if this is your first visit. Thankfully, there are some great Apps which can be downloaded to help you find the places you want to see.

Citymapper.com incorporates a range of features including a quick check on tube lines, highlighting where potential delays can be found. This helps you find alternative routes. Citymapper was designed particularly with the needs of commuters in mind, people traveling to and from work, and needing the easiest routes. It is kept permanently updated, indicating where there are traffic problems either on public transport or on the roads. It is this feature which makes it really useful, since getting caught up in tube delays or traffic jams can waste a tremendous amount of time. It also has a great routing facility, giving A to B directions that are user friendly and being updated in real time.

Tubemaplondon offers the convenience of a conventional tube map with a facility to zoom in on stations and find your way round the underground quickly and easily. A key advantage is the fact that it breaks down the map into small areas which are provided as required. You do not have to try and use the entire map, just the bits you need immediately. This makes the download very quick indeed, as all that is provided is the square you have requested. This enables you to clearly identify where to change trains, and follow the route in real time. This indeed a very useful app for first time travelers staying in Backpacker Hostels London.

Uber is a facility which is very useful if you need inexpensive car travel from place to place. Tap on the app, and a car will come directly to where you are. There is no need to try and work out your route, the driver knows and will take you the quickest way possible. It is very simple to use, and no cash is required, just cards. Uber based car travel is most useful if you are traveling outside the immediate city centre.

The Santander Cycles app allows you to take part in a self-service, bike sharing scheme. There is no need to book, just hire a bike via the app, ride it to your destination then return it to a docking station. Payment is made via a bank card. Using the app provides a bike release code which comes straight to your smartphone. This is very useful if you plan to use the bikes regularly. The App also allows you find out which docking stations have bikes and space available, or to plan your journey.

Two other useful service apps useful when traveling around London are Open Table and ATM locator. OpenTable enables you to make restaurant reservations at the click of a button from your smart phone. You can read restaurant reviews and earn points towards free meals. It is very easy to use and does help you find a restaurant more quickly, providing directions and full information. The ATM locator map helps you find the nearest ATM to wherever you are.

London Youth Hostels being spread out to almost all part of the city, it is very useful app for backpackers as they may not be very familiar with the routes.